Greetings from Durmstrang! While no one quite knows exactly where the Durmstrang Institute is, we can be reasonably sure that it is in far northern Europe. This week, in honor of that noble institution of magical learning, we will be profiling a notable scientist from that area of the world -- Tycho Brahe.
Brahe was born in 1546 in Scania, Denmark (now Sweden). Originally destined to be a lawyer, he was inspired by a total eclipse of the sun in 1560 to devote himself to the study of astronomy. Continuing with his law studies during the day, Brahe studied the heavens at night. His meticulous observations, using the most accurate instruments available at the time, (he was the last major astronomer to work without the aid of a telescope) helped to disprove the the accepted beliefs regarding the way the Universe was organized.
While his Tychonic model was eventually proved false, Brahe's passion for precise, empirical observations helped spark the scientific revolution and his data laid a foundation for the later discoveries of Kepler and Newton.
Several astronomical objects bear his name, including a prominent rayed crater on the southern hemisphere of the moon, the crater Tycho Brahe on Mars, the asteroid 1677 Tycho Brahe, and Supernova 1572, Tycho's Nova. This last is the very supernova described in Brahe's work De Nova Stella (The New Star) that led to his re-conception of the Universe.
With his devotion to exhaustive observation and precise measurement, his wide scientific interests, and his dedication to education, Tycho Brahe truly embodies the spirit of Ravenclaw!
Learn more about Tycho Brahe:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tycho_Brahe
http://www.space.com/19623-tycho-brahe-biography.html
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Tycho-Brahe-Danish-astronomer
Special thanks to bribot09 for her nomination of Tycho Brahe. Got a geek you'd like us to feature? Nominate them here.
No comments:
Post a Comment